Baker's Dozen
by Kiana Ravens
Summary: The final apocalypse is coming. Drusilla and her Champion are the only hopes to set a prophecy in motion. But will the Champions conquer their pasts and help preserve the future? Updated.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series. Both shows are owned by Joss Whedon and Co.

**Summary**: Drusilla, as a Seer for the Powers that Be, has gotten a vision foretelling the final apocalypse. She and her Champion are the only hopes to setting a millennia-old prophecy into motion. By summoning the Children of Champions from their universes into this reality, the apocalypse could be averted. But, secrets are revealed and the truth comes out. Can the Champions come to terms in time to avert the last and ultimately final apocalypse?

**Alternate Timeline Explanation**: _Baker's Dozen_ is pretty complicated, but I'm going to try to explain. All of Buffy has happened, through season 7. However, in Angel, season 4, says my beta and good friend Euley(go read her stuff), happens at the same time. I understand that. I know that. But I don't have to deal and accept that. As a fanfiction writer, I love that I have the right to mess with things. Like, there's going to be a lot of slash, but there's going to be a lot of het, too. And a bunch of stuff has/hasn't happened. Let's go on to explaining the timeline.

For Buffy, as mentioned before, _Baker's Dozen_ deals with all/most of it, including the first season. Especially the first season. I, the author, haven't seen every single episode of Buffy, because I'm not that crazy in love with the series, but I have seen my fair share of the episodes. And I have a good memory. So, I have the Buffy parts down.

As for Angel, I'm not so good. The fourth season is being tugged around with. In _Baker's Dozen_, I guess all of season 3 has happened. Gunn's with the Fang Gang, Fred's been rescued from Pylea, Lorne's around, Connor's been born and gone through the whole 'I hate Angel let me kill him' thing. He never had sex with Cordelia, 'cause it squicks me to think of that, so Jasmine hasn't happened yet. The Angel timeline in _Baker's Dozen_ is before Connor and Cordy do the dirty. Gunn and Fred don't get together. Wesley and Fred don't get together (Euley still hates me because of that). No one has a partner as of yet. Oh, and Wesley has glasses, because I think he looks adorable with them on.

So, with that hopefully explained, please feel free to point out any gaps, holes, or things wrong in the timeline. I'm only one person that doesn't watch Angel on a regular basis with a friend-slash-beta who does. Oh, and leave feedback/reviews. I like them a lot.

**Warnings**: Slash and femslash pairings(aka male/male or female/female), confusion, and many new OCs(original characters, for those who don't know.) Also, violence, maybe angst, and character death.

Flashes of scenes, barely long enough for her to catch onto what's happening. Children, teenagers really, fighting and laughing and hugging. Then came demons. Big, gray, bulky demons about nine feet tall with large mouths and long, sharp canines and claws attacking the adults. She could kind of recognize the people. The bleach-blonde obviously her Spike, and the tall brunette near him being her daddy, and the blonde Slayer that stole her Angel fighting nearby with the chocolate Slayer and the dark Slayer. Her Grandsire was fighting a demon on her own, the dark Slayer's old flame tackling it; the warrior of old spearing a demon, and then came the little kitten, and the red tree with her nummy treat, the stuffy smart one, and the big chocolate man. Behind them were the man without a hand, the two army men, the mousy witch, and the little Slayer and her twin. Lurking about were the wolf, the little slave-girl, the green man, the yummy lawyer, the old friend, her Champion with the old Watcher, the little blonde boy, and the stern woman with the eyes. And the kiddies stood with the Key and her little brother weren't harmed as they stood in the background, nursing wounds. . .

. . .But only if the adults would help. Only if they set things She saw herself swaying with the Rain Man around a smoky green circle.

Coming out of the vision, she crooned, squirming and wiggling around on the silk sheets of the bed. Reaching for the porcelain doll, Drusilla hummed to her Miss Edith, clutching the doll to her chest, her dark eyes glazed with the preoccupation of her thoughts. The brunette knew what she had to do. The visions were getting worse and more frequent, and Drusilla knew that if she wanted the pain to stop, she'd best do what the Powers wanted her to do. Besides, she'd see her daddy sooner or later with his life-mate. For now, Drusilla needed to call the mage for some cosmic help.

Exiting the room of her mansion, she turned to one of the minions. "Little snake, call the old mage for mummy, will you? I want to talk to him."

Nodding and stammering, the minion sped off to another room to phone the mage. Upsetting Drusilla wasn't the smartest thing for him to do, especially after a vision. So Drusilla busied herself with singing to Miss Edith and swaying on the balcony above the foyer. When the minion returned with a cordless phone, she snatched at it with a small "Ruff!" and smiled toothily at the minion, causing him to shake and run off.

"Hello?" the voice on the phone called out. "Drusilla, are you there?"

"Drippy droppy," Drusilla cooed into the phone. "Help poor old mummy, will you?"

"What do you need from me, Drusilla?" the man's voice sighed over the line. She could picture him rubbing his temples in irritation. Drusilla giggled.

"Just a small spell, please," answered Drusilla in a singsong voice. "The Powers are sending me visions of the final apocalypse… They keep saying to contact you for help to stop the earth from being destroyed. I myself wouldn't want to help, but there'd be no more puppies or chaos. We need to get the little muffins here, all neat and clean and whole. Will you help?"

"I suppose. What do I need to do?"

"Come to the mansion, sweets, and bring some portal-opening things," Drusilla replied, becoming suddenly serious. "We have a mission."

**end of Prologue.**

**Author's Note**: I hope that I characterized Drusilla good. I wasn't sure. Also posted in Angel section.

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	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"It's so your turn to clean the weapons, Xander Harris!" shouted Cordelia Chase, whipping her head around and sending her blonde-streaked brown hair flying with it. She poked the other brunette in the stomach. "Remember the whole Chrem'ytli demon thing the night before last? I cleaned the swords and Gunn's axe! It's SO your turn. I scrubbed so hard that I needed to get another manicure." She looked at her fingers, inspecting the newly refined nails, before raising her eyes to her ex-boyfriend, tempting him to disagree with her.

"Fine!" Xander groaned, throwing his arms into the air. "But I'll have you know that last night, I cleaned the Freskle slime off of Wesley's crossbow and Angel's katana, Gunn's axe, my axe, and the axe that Dawnie used. But, hey, I don't care about taking turns because I'm just here to clean the weapons, Vision Girl."

With that, Xander glared at the brunette and turned on his heal to the weapons cabinet, pulling out the green-blood encrusted weapons before taking out the rag (which had been one of Xander's old Hawaiin t-shirts) and a bottle of cleaner before settling in to work. Regretting her actions a little, Cordelia sighed and headed over to the weapon's cabinet. "Xander, pull out another rag that you call a shirt, and scoot over. I'll help you."

Since the battle against the First Evil and Anya's death, Xander had been snappish and withdrawn. It concerned Willow, Dawn, and Cordelia, and they had been conspiring for a few weeks about kidnapping him and taking him out to a club. He needed to get out. He needed exposure. He needed someone to lean on.

And Cordelia, being the insanely nice and generous person she was, spent as much time as possible without being obvious with Xander. "Remember in senior year Harmony tripped in the cafeteria?"

"How could I not?" replied Xander, throwing a grin at Cordelia. "That had to be the most embarrassing thing she's ever done… Besides getting turned."

"Yeah," laughed Cordelia. "She couldn't spend an hour without a mirror. How could she spend the rest of her unlife without being able to see her reflection?"

For the rest of the night, Cordelia and Xander were talking about high school, and that's how Willow Rosenberg and Dawn Summers found them after their shopping trip.

"Xander!" called the redhead, lugging a few bags into the hotel. Mostly they were Dawn's, as she was the compulsive shopper, and Willow had just laughed as the little brunette hopped from store to store looking eagerly at all the clothes like a little kid in a candy shop. Blowing a lock of red hair out of her green eyes, she grinned when she heard his laughter, leaving the bags by the front desk, Willow went a little further into the hotel to see Cordelia and Xander throwing raggedy shirts at each other. "Now, now you two! What have I said about throwing around rags?"

"Um, nothing?" Cordelia giggled, throwing the shirt in her hand at Xander, who grinned and caught it.

"She's got you there, Wills," laughed Xander as Dawn walked in. He threw the shirt back at Cordelia, who squealed since it was a rag covered in the green blood they had been cleaning off the weapons. "And don't call my clothes rags!"

Dawn picked up one of the shirts and giggled, throwing it at Xander. "With the design and style of that shirt, it's no wonder it became a rag!" Dawn laughed, blue eyes sparkling, hiding behind a couch as a shirt was thrown at her. "Hey!"

"You had it coming, Dawnie!" snickered Cordelia, dodging a shirt thrown at her. Soon, there were shirts flying everywhere, from behind the couch, behind a nearby armchair, and from behind the weapons cabinet. Willow sighed, knowing that if Angel were to come out from brooding all day over nothing and everything he wouldn't be happy about the mess, and stepped closer to the fight.

"Now listen," Willow began, taking on a condescending tone that sounded oddly like a mother scolding her child, "you three shouldn't be throwing the rags around. Angel might come out and-"

But she was hit by a shirt, with crusted something on it, and Willow squeaked in disgust before flinging herself behind the weapons cabinet. "This means war!"

Xander and Willow versus Cordelia and Dawn.

Wesley found them grinning and panting in a pile of dirty rags ten minutes later when he came down to check on a translation. Frowning, he said, "What on earth are you four doing in a pile of dirty rags?"

The four giggled and laughed, before picking themselves off the rags and putting them away in the bottom drawer. "Just playing, Wesley, or would you not know how to play?" Willow giggled, throwing a smile at him over her shoulder to lessen the insult. She meant nothing by it, he could tell, and he too grinned.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Wesley replied before shaking his head and moving towards his office.

Since Xander, Willow, and Dawn had moved into the hotel after battling the First Evil under Buffy's order. As she needed to be on a hellmouth, she had moved to Cleveland to control that one, as Giles set up a new Watcher's Council to train new Watchers for the hundreds of Slayers all over the world that had been activated. Xander and Dawn were considered Watchers, and after new slayers were found, they'd be sent to L.A. and be trained under them. Wesley, too, was considered a Watcher, but declined the job in favor of helping run Angel Investigations. Sighing, Wesley sat down at his desk and picked up a large, leather-bound, weathered book nearby, and retrieving the smaller red leather book from the top locked drawer.

Settling down for a long evening of translating, Wesley pushed his glasses up his nose and set to work, scratching notes down on a legal pad with a cheap felt-tip pen. 'This may turn into something…'

-

Later, after the shirt fight had been cleaned up, the weapons put away, and the day's shopping hung up and folded into drawers, Cordelia sat at the front desk, crossword in one hand and a blue pencil in the other. Chewing on the eraser as one particularly hard line stumped her, she glanced up as the Hyperion doors opened. Grinning, she set both items down and stood, stretching, before following Charles Gunn and Winifred, Fred, Burkle into the kitchen. "What'd you two get?"

"Tacos!" Fred exclaimed happily, setting the two bags she carried down on the table. She toyed with a strand of her loose brown hair. "Well, we stopped for tacos for me, but the rest of you get Chinese."

"Again?" Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "That's the third time this week."

"If you wanna start cookin' be my guest, Cordy," Gunn replied, settling his four bags down on the counter. He removed four two-liter bottles of soda to put into the small refrigerator. "Otherwise, get used to Chinese. No one else is complainin'."

"Chinese again?" exclaimed an excited Dawn, bouncing around the kitchen. "Did you get me pepper steak and onion?"

"How could I forget, girlie?" Gunn smiled at the young woman, passing her her food. "Last time you hounded me for days until I got it right."

"For good reason," Dawn argued, digging into the white paper box. "Thanks, Gunn."

Xander stepped into the kitchen a few moments after Dawn, with Willow right behind him, looking at the dancing Dawn. "I'm sorry 'bout her, Gunn. Willow gave her chocolate."

"I'm sorry," Willow began. "She wanted chocolate so I gave her a tiny, itty bitty piece so she'd stop hounding me, and then she asked for more, so I said to myself, 'Why not?' and gave her some more, but then she got all hyper and started bouncing around the room and the bed and started skipping down the hallway, so I'm sorry for feeding her chocolate and­"

"Calm the babblin' Willow," laughed Gunn, handing Willow and Xander each a container of shrimp fried rice. Xander nodded his thanks before leaving for his room to eat. He never ate in the kitchen. The black man turned and walked to the doorway of the kitchen. "Just sit and eat and don't worry about it. I'm gonna go get in English here… Be right back."

The four girls sat down, Dawn at the kitchen island swinging her legs every which way, while Cordelia, Willow, and Fred sat at the table, munching on their food while exchanging small conversation. And when Gunn and Wesley walked into the kitchen, they had to fight the urge to bust out laughing as the four girls were talking about Angel's overly-gelled hair.

"Here ya go, English," Gunn said, handing Wesley the carton of vegetable lo mein.

"You got Dawn the right order, then, I suppose?" asked Wesley, smiling at Dawn who sat at the kitchen island happily eating her pepper steak. Snapping the hashi, Wesley dove into the lo mein. Pausing, he looked at Gunn. "Did you get sesame seeds?"

"Of course, English," replied Gunn, nodding his bald head and throwing a little packet of sesame seeds at the older man. Sitting down next to Fred, Gunn opened his box of General Tso's chicken with a small carton of white rise nearby. As kid from the streets, Gunn only eats with a fork.

"Well, I'm going to look at that prophecy again," Wesley announced after dumping the sesame seeds into his lo mein. "It's an interesting poem written in half-Japanese, half-Arabic, that alternates between both and I'll see what I can make of it. If it's important, I'll let you all know."

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Wesley bustled out of the kitchen carrying his carton of lo mein and a glass of water. Gunn rolled his eyes and smiled affectionately.

"Workaholic."

-

"So, Willow was just standing there and I was asking her if this pretty sky-blue dress looked nice on me, which it did, and then she just totally drooled! She was asleep with her eyes open, standing up! I was like, waiting for her to wake up by snapping my fingers and stuff but - "

Cordelia fell to the floor, gripping her head and letting out a pain-filled scream. Gunn and Fred immediately rushed to her side, while Willow quickly poured a glass of water and got the painkillers out. Dawn sat there, feeling guilty, like her constant talking had given the once-brunette-but-now-blonde the vision. Scrambling for a piece of paper, Cordelia wrote down four lines.

_7:00 PM_

_Redhead named Orenda_

_Tsuki-Ookami_

_Big red demon with tentacles and seven yellow eyes, and green teeth_

"There," breathed Cordelia, before throwing back the pills and gulping down the glass of water. Clearing her throat, Cordelia looked at Gunn and Fred. "There was a clock on a wall outside the club, a big digital one, and it was at seven. It was dark out. There was a whisper of a name, Orenda, this redhead female. Go get Angel out from the Lair and take an axe. Tentacles. Lots of them. Take Wesley, too."

"I'm on it, Cordy," grinned Gunn. As Gunn exited the kitchen, Cordelia climbed back into the chair, slumping against the high wooden back.

"These visions are so annoying," Cordelia complaining, stuffing a lump of shrimp into her mouth. "I mean, yeah, I get that Angel needs his connection with the Powers. But why the pain? Why can't they be pain-free?"

"Maybe 'cause then you wouldn't notice it as much? You might pass it off as a dream," explained Willow. Waving a hand, gesturing around the room in a Willow-ish way, she continued. "With all the demons you see, it's likely that you'd have dreams about them. Now, if you had a vision, without the pain, would you pass it off as a dream?"

Cordelia shook her, head, even though she stammered, uncertainly, "N-no! Of course not!"

Giving her a pointed look, Willow crossed her arms over her chest. Huffing, Cordelia leaned forward onto the table. "Fine. Yes, I probably would."

"Thus concluded, pain is necessary," Fred chirped through a mouthful of taco.

-

As Drusilla danced with Miss Edith on the balcony above the foyer, a chime echoed through the mansion, bouncing off the dark stone walls, causing Drusilla to groan with delight. Her Champion was here. A minion opened the door, beckoning the mage in. "Drippy droppy, fresh and clean… Fall upon earth and water. How have you been?"

"As well as ever, Dru," came the curt response from the irritated mage. "Now, will you tell me why I was disturbed at three in the morning?"

"Vision," Drusilla replied, dancing down the hallway to the steps. "Chaos, chaos everywhere, and not a drop to spare. What were you doing that I disturbed you?"

"Plotting," her Champion replied, tapping his foot in impatience. His Seer was a wacky one, but his anyway. "Something for Ripper."

"Now, now, drippy droppy," giggled Drusilla as she tried to sound chastising, ushered him into another room, a completely bare, stone room, with one hand while the other poked him. "You know that Ripper wouldn't be happy. And unhappy Ripper isn't a fun Ripper."

"Actually…"

"Here, now," Drusilla interrupted her Champion, motioning to the room. "This is where you'll be summoning them from. The Powers need you to get the little muffins here…"

"Drusilla, what the hell are you rambling on about?"

"The Children of Destiny. They need to be brought here," Drusilla replied, dancing again with Miss Edith. "The final apocalypse will come to be when on the earth are the Children of Destiny. Born from the Champions of the past, of the old…"

-

"Loyalty steadfast, hearts of gold," Wesley read from the small leather-bound book. "Strong in spirit, body, and mind-"

-

"Here, their fates they will find. The end draws near and they win or fall, and together they fight with thirteen in all." Drusilla continued, singing the prophecy and dancing around the barren stone room.

-

"Three with night skin, two with powers, two determined to win, two hunting for hours," Wesley's brow creased in thought. This prophecy was rather detailed while still being vague…

-

"One with clarity of mind, one destined to protect the key, one with more knowledge to find, one longing to be free…" Drusilla stared up at the dark ceiling, spinning in a circle. "Using insanity," giggled Drusilla, pointing to herself, "and chaos," she pointed to her Champion, "for the Powers' will to be done, On the field all at once…"

-

"Are the Children of Champions." Sighing, Wesley finally dropped his pen and gripped his head. Switching from Arabic to Japanese and back again was tiring and confusing… But the end result being a fully translated prophecy was well worth the headache. Hopefully he could tell everyone at dinner…

"Hey Wes," Gunn knocked on the doorway of his office. Wesley looked up, squinting with no glasses on, at the tall black man. "Get yer stuff together. Cordy had a vision that's due to happen at seven, and we've gotta get Gel-Man out of hiding."

Nodding, Wesley rubbed his eyes before placing his glasses on his nose and grabbing a crossbow. He'd announce the prophecy after they were done killing… whatever needed to be killed. It wasn't as if the prophecy was going to be set in motion yet, right?

-

"Sons and daughters of the Champions, drippy droppy," Drusilla reminded the mage, tapping at the circle of herbs that her Champion had laid out. "Into the hotel, all at once if you can. Can you, drippy droppy?"

"How often have I told you not to call me that, Drusilla?" her champion replied, setting down a thick, old, worn tome. A knock upon the door to the stone room sounded. "What?"

"Mr. Rayne," a minion said, peeking his head in. "We've gotten the goat's blood you wanted."

Ethan Rayne smiled. "Excellent. Do you have the goat as well?"

"Yes, Mr. Rayne," the minion replied, ushering two more minions into the room, the two new minions carrying a large goat. "Is there anything else you require, Mr. Rayne, Mistress?"

"That's all, boys," the male brunette laughed, dragging the goat over to the circle. "Thank you for the goat."

"It was no problem, Mr. Rayne," the two new minions replied humbly, bowing out of the room. The last minion shut the door.

"Well, if that's all you need, Drusilla," Ethan began, a wild gleam forming in his brown eyes, "than I think we're ready to set that prophecy in motion."

**end Chapter 1.**

**Word Count**: 2,808 words.

**Author's Note**: Last chapter, Dru-speak was supposed to be hard to follow. I wanted it to be cryptic. Did anyone guess who the people were? Also, forgot to put this in the prologue, but watch for major amounts of OCs. The full summary states that the CHILDREN of Champions are coming. Saying such, the prophecy is about the OCs. Can you guess the parents of the Children?

**Review responses**:

Imzadi: I'm glad you think it's interesting. As for the people, you have some right, and some wrong. It will be revealed in all good time. Keep reading and reviewing to get the clarification you need.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Wes, your shot back there saved us from a bunch of slime," Gunn said as he, Angel, and Wesley stepped into the Hyperion. "Of course, Angel decided that it wasn't dead enough." He glared at the brunette vampire. "Why, Angel? Why did you have to crack its head open with your axe?"

"I would think it would be obvious, Charles," Wesley began, giving an amused look on the pair. "Angel needs the last hit."

"Ah," Gunn nodded, sending Wesley a grin. "That explains it."

"Whatever," Angel replied to their teasing, waving a hand at them. "I'm going back to my room."

"To brood and sit alone in the dark, and then to gel your hair?" came Cordelia's voice as she made herself known on, sitting on the front desk. "Well, you've got another thing coming, buster." Dawn bounced in, holding a phone to her ear and rambling to someone on the other line. "There's your problem."

"What, Dawn talking on the phone and charging up my phone bills?" asked Angel, clearly confused.

"No," Xander said, walking in after Dawn with Willow and Fred in tow. "Buffy's visiting Los Angeles for a few weeks with a couple of people. Including my new Slayer. And my new Slayer's twin brother."

"Buffy's coming?" stunned, Angel's mouth flopped open like a fish. "Here? To L.A.?"

"Didn't Xander just say that?" Cordelia replied with her own question. She rolled her eyes in irritation. "Yes. Buffy is coming to Los Angeles. Do you not listen when people talk? You're supposed to be this old, wise vampire, and you have the attention span of a three-year-old."

"-And then Angel got demon slime in his hair and was all pouty!" Dawn said into the phone, giggling. "Yeah! I know! Uh huh, uh huh…"

Making a lunge for the phone, Angel missed it by an inch. Dawn was too clever at playing keep-away for the two-hundred-year-plus vampire. "You want to talk to him? Okay." Dawn held out the phone to Angel. "She wants to talk to you."

Angel quickly grabbed the phone and walked into the kitchen for privacy.

"Oh, by the way," Wesley began, cleaning his glasses on a section of his sweater not covered in demon slime. "I found this prophecy-"

"Tell us later, Wes," Cordy said flippantly, waving a hand dismissively. "We women folk need to go and prepare the rooms. And since Dawn's clearly incapacitated with the thought of Buffy coming here, you, Gunn, and Xander are going to help. Now, onward we march! And make sure that the rooms are as far away from Angel's as possible. Don't want him and Buffy getting together and making with the happy, now do we?"

"Right then," sighed Wesley, placing his glasses back on before trudging upstairs next to Gunn.

"Don't worry, English," Gunn said to his friend, patting him affectionately on the shoulder. "I'll make it up to ya with a game of darts later, okay? When this Buffy arrives, you can announce the whole prophecy thing and get it out in one go. Good?"

"Yeah," smiled Wesley, looking at his tall friend. "Good."

- - -

"Buffy's bringing Giles, Faith, Robin, Andrew, Kennedy, and Xander's new Slayer and her brother," Dawn announced as she giddily walked into the lobby, seeing everyone sitting down, resting really, from their work upstairs. Five rooms and a twin bedroom were set up, ready to be slept in. Angel had finally updated the plumbing in most of the hotel, including the first floor and the basement, since Connor had decided to take up residence there. "They'll be in L.A. at noon tomorrow. She was calling from an airplane, and said that tonight they're all staying in a motel. Apparently, Giles found Xander's new Slayer while visiting a friend in Italy, and this girl was fighting this vampire, and she was fending him off really good until the vampire hit her brother, and then she got really mad an ripped his head off and the way Giles explained it to Buffy who explained it to me sounded SO cool, so I can't wait to meet her. Can you wait? I mean, Xander, this is your first Slayer. What if she doesn't like you? What if her BROTHER doesn't like you? What if she-"

"How about you let Xander worry by himself," Willow said from his place near the dartboard, watching Wesley and Gunn throwing the mini-spears, as Cordy had wont to call them. As Gunn had promised, they were playing a game of darts, the dartboard reminding Willow faintly of Angel's head. Maybe it was just the brown spikes on it… "He has the qualifications, and he'll be doing what he does every day, only training someone and helping someone, and he's being paid for it! You and I and everyone know that he's fully ready for this, not to mention he deserves the position, title, and benefits of a Watcher!"

"Um, Wills-"

"And…and he's smart! He knows the things that Watchers need to know-" she ignored the snort from both Xander and Wesley, "-and he knows about vampires and how to kill them and demons and how to kill THEM. Isn't that all a Slayer needs from him?"

"Well, Wills-"

"And anyway, Xander'll do fine! You know he will, I know he will, we all do!"

"Who are you trying to convince, you, or Dawn, or even me?" asked Xander, mildly amused with his best friend's antics.

"I'm trying to convince me-WAIT!" Willow began before interrupting herself and glaring at Xander. "You're not supposed to trick me like that, mister!" She poked him in the side, even as he tried to dodge the bony finger.

"But, now we've established that ya don't have faith in his abilities as a Watcher," Fred commented from her position on the staircase, leaning her head on the railing. "Which isn't good, 'cause, ya know, he's yer best friend and all, and yer supposed to support him and stuff."

"Oh stuff it you."

- - -

And then it was Sunday. July 23, 2006. Nearly one P.M., and still no sign of the Buffster. Xander huffed, leaning his weight to his right leg. Dawn, Willow, and Fred had gone to get drinks for everyone. Coffees for the plane travelers, water for the women, and a pop for him. And he was stuck waiting with Cordelia.

Which wouldn't be so bad if she'd stop biting her nails. It was a nervous habit that she had picked up in high school, one he hated as much then as he did now, and his nerves were about to snap if the girls didn't get back soon. Click, clack, snap, bite, crunch, click, clack, click, snap, crunch…

Just as Xander's nerve snapped, Dawn came bouncing over, carrying his super-size coke. Sighing irritably, Xander snatched his soda, quickly taking several gulps, glaring over the cup at his former girlfriend. Willow looked from Xander to Cordelia, Cordelia to Xander, and heaved a great sigh. "Biting her fingernails again?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Xander grumbled in reply. "Clicking and clacking! Clacking and Clicking! No wonder she needs a new manicure every week."

"Well, you didn't have to stand behind a sweaty fat man who was hitting on me and in front of this woman that looked like she was constipated and smelled like she peed herself," Dawn replied, handing Cordelia her water. Fred and Willow sat the coffees on a nearby table, the gray cardboard strong but not able to last for long. Xander checked his watch again, sighing impatiently.

"God, their plane landed like, an hour and a half ago!" Cordelia expressed everyone's irritability bluntly. Just as Willow and Fred were making their way to the customs desk, Dawn launched herself at a petite blonde woman stepped out of the terminal. (1)

The tired blonde, who Xander recognized as Buffy, hugged her little sister back. "Dawnie…"

"Buffy! Oh, it's been SO boring here in L.A., and I really want to do things besides shopping and researching and seeing demons and singing, and they've all been ignoring me and stuff! I mean-"

"Dawn!" Willow said with a frown and a reprimanding tone. "Lying to your sister! Why would you say things like that?"

"Because I've missed her so much!" the reply, much like a wail, came from the young brunette. Still, as the others came out of the terminal, she clung desperately to Buffy, who looked like she was about to suffocate.

"Dawn, stop hogging her!" said Cordelia, pushing Dawn away from Buffy before embracing her sort-of friend. "Buffy! It's good to see you. You don't look that great. After a night's sleep and some coffee, we can got out and get manicures, maybe bond over shopping?"

"Of course, Cordy," Buffy replied, sending the taller girl a small smile. If Cordelia was willing to become friends, why wouldn't Buffy? A red thing nearly tackled the Slayer to the ground. "Willow!"

"Oh Buffy!" Willow said, hugging her friend tightly. "I missed talking to you. The phone isn't the same, you know? I mean, I miss staying up and eating ice cream and watching movies and making fun of the vampire movies. Come on! We gotta get you home so we can do that once you're rested up enough!"

Xander rolled his eyes and smiled softly when he saw Faith coming out, a duffel bag over her shoulder. Faith and he had become close, as close as siblings, since Sunnydale had become a crater. He had flown out to Cleveland to comfort her when Robin and she had broken up. She had flown out to LA when he and Dawn was kidnapped by a few demons. Brother and sister, they were. Xander walked over to greet her.

"Faith," Xander welcomed, pulling the smaller brunette into his arms. Startled a bit, Faith hesitated before relaxing and hugging Xander back. Even though she had been around the Scoobies for a good two years, Faith still wasn't used to this kind of affection. "How was your flight?"

"Flights," corrected Faith, patting Xander on the back. "Took one from Cleveland to some midwestern state airport, then here to LA. And with Buffy whining all through the flights to Giles and Robin, and Kennedy hit on me a few times, AND Andrew and I got into a debate on whether Spiderman or Batman was the better superhero." Faith had a hidden passion for comic books that had been pulled out of her by Andrew and Xander's argument from the ruins of Sunnydale to LA over Faith's resemblance to Catwoman. "And how're you doin' Xan?"

"Pretty good," replied Xander, waving all the others down. Giles was standing next to two younger teenagers, about Dawn's age. "Is that my Slayer and her brother?"

"Yeah," said Faith. "Carla's nice, but Giles has to interpret for us. Maybe Wesley can be yours. Anyway, Carla's nice, and she's friendly, but a little not outgoing, if you know what I mean. Her brother's really nice. Dante. He's overprotective of Carla, but being the older twin, you can't blame him. Big brother think and all."

"Ah," Xander's intelligent response came. He blinked, before hearing Giles call him. Walking over, Xander played with his eye patch a bit, adjusting it, before standing upright from his slouch with a small smile on his face. "Er… you rang?"

"Yes," Giles said, pushing a shorter, pale-skinned girl towards him, a boy with darker skin standing in a jean jacket nearby looking on. "This is your Slayer, Carla. That's her brother Dante," Giles explained, pointing to the tanned boy. Both had dark hair and dark eyes. "Now, we're staying for a couple of weeks, so I can help you learn some Italian and help her learn some English, but you'll have to rely on Wesley for translations."

"Okay," Xander said, sticking his hand out to Carla. "Hi, I'm Xander."

"Il mio nome è Carla," the young girl replied, accepting the hand proffered. "Ciò è il mio fratello Dante. Ah… Please to meet you."

"Um, I'm pleased to meet you both," Xander said, taking his hand back into his pocket.

"How are we getting back?" asked Andrew, chewing on a fingernail as he hefted his black backpack higher.

"Oh!" Cordelia exclaimed, pulling a wad of cash out of her pocket. "That's why Wesley gave me this! Um, we're renting a car. He said to get a fifteen-passenger one, so it's easier to go places when we need to. Actually, he said to get two…" Cordelia shook her head. "Well, let's go home!"

**end Chapter 2**

**Author's note**: Gah. It's shorter than the last chapter, but I needed it to end somehow. And the two fifteen-passenger cars will come in handy! Leave a review. It boosts my confidence. Boosting my confidence makes me want to write. So leave a review if you want updates. Also, this chapter is completely raw, besides one thing I corrected. I spelled Gunn 'Guun'. But besides that one change, it's a raw, unbetaed chapter.

**(1)** Don't you love conveniently placed customs desks and my lack of knowledge concerning the airport? Well, I've been on a plane twice in my life, to and from Jamaica, and even though my mom travels a lot and my brother used to live in Florida, I don't know the terms. So, where the passengers come out after getting their luggage, that's what I meant by 'terminal'.

**Review Responses**:

**Imzadi**: All I can say is that things will be revealed as the chapters come along. I have most of the story planned so far, and I think that my ideas are good.

**lilithangel**: Yey! I wrote good Dru-speak! Actually, for Angel I know a lot about season 1, but the rest of the seasons make me go . I'm much more of a Buffy-fan.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

As everyone arrived back at the Hyperion – Xander driving one van as Cordelia drove the other and complained about how bad it looked for her to be driving such a bad car – Wesley was waiting on a couch with the prophecy in hand, making notes on a yellow legal pad. Gunn sat in an armchair, sharpening and cleaning his axe, as Angel brooded in the shadows, watching as Buffy tiredly walked into the lobby. Eyes narrowing, Angel stepped partway into the light of the lobby. Even as Wesley and stood to greet the new guests, he just stood as still as he could, trying to look like he wasn't to be noticed, but Cordelia knew better. He was like the older brother she never had, and Cordelia could read Angel like a book.

"Angel, stop trying to look all cool by standing in the shadows and greet your guests!" Cordelia shouted at him, poking the vampire in the side. "Be a good host. Xander and I are ordering dinner. Pizza okay with everyone?" A chorus of sleepy 'yes's' came and Cordelia and Xander whisked themselves into the kitchen as Angel stepped closer to the group. Fred, Willow, and Dawn immediately noticed that Buffy and Angel wanted to talk, so the three gathered all the guests and shooed them upstairs while Gunn and Wesley excused themselves to get proper drinks besides coffee and blood.

"So, Buffy," Angel began, walking over to the blonde Slayer. "How have you been?"

"I've been good," replied Buffy, cocking her head to the side. "Cordelia said something about you have a son? Where is he?"

"Oh," Angel said, blinking. "Um, he's in his room. He spends a lot of time there."

"Like father, like son," Buffy stated with a small smile. "So, how are you? Have you found anyone, you know, to be with?"

"Buffy," Angel sighed, running a hand over his face. "I can't be with anyone. You know that. What if I lose my soul again? I could come after you, or Dawn. I think it's better that I'm not with anyone."

"I-I'm sorry," Buffy stammered, blushing and dropping her head to look down. "I know that you can't be with anyone."

"It's less that," began Angel, "and more that. . . Never mind."

"No, tell me," Buffy encouraged, trying to catch Angel's brown eyes. "I'm supposed to be your friend."

"You are," Angel agreed. "It's just that. . . It's hard to tell you."

"Just tell me already," Buffy said, exasperated. "Angel, if this is some kind of joke, getting me worked up over you being alone, then so help me-"

"It's just that, Buffy, I can't be with anyone," said Angel, interrupting the blonde's rant, "because. . . because I'm still in love with you."

Buffy, startled, flapped her mouth, looking much like a fish out of water. She might have been able to take down demons twice her size, kill a nest of vampires in one night and still go to college the next day, but the longest living Slayer was out of her league when it came to matters of the heart. Buffy blushed again, and opened her mouth to say something, when Angel interrupted her again.

"I know you've moved on, but I'm a vampire, Buffy," sighed Angel, moving to go back into his office. "Love lasts a long time in our eyes." With that, he shut the door and left the blonde Slayer to deal on her own. Well, you learned something everyday, right?

-

Willow nearly bounced downstairs for dinner. She, Buffy, and Giles were going to make dinner, as a change in pace from all the take out and fast food that Angel Investigations was getting. They were in the kitchen, Fred, Gunn, Cordelia, Dawn, Andrew, Faith, and even Xander, talking and laughing and making jokes. Cordelia was even nice to Faith, and immediately adored Andrew and Andrew's quirky personality.

Suddenly, Xander sat up straight, getting a serious look, as if he were focusing on something. His brows were furrowed and his mouth was pulled into a small frown, as he looked forward, as if staring into space. No one really noticed, except for Willow. Willow followed his line of sight and saw a shade moving slightly. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that the window wasn't open, the air conditioner was out of commission for the week, no one had passed by the window, and there was no other breeze in the office. Was the hotel haunted or something? She'd talk to Angel later.

Xander squirmed in his chair. This was the fifth time today that he saw something out of the ordinary in the hotel. He'd thought he'd heard something this time, a whisper of his name and a grunt of pain. It was starting to freak him out. He'd been hearing these noises for the duration of his stay at the Hyperion, which was why he tended to stay in his room. His room meant safety and security.

But something about the hauntings was familiar. Oddly familiar. What was so familiar about it? Xander couldn't put a finger on it. As he stayed longer, they became more numerous and more profound. Well, whatever it was, Xander just hoped it would stop, and soon.

-

Later that day, the Hyperion doors opened. Xander - he was on Cordelia's desk doing a crossword puzzle - and Cordelia – she was taking a quiz in Cosmo magazine – looked up as sunlight spilled across the floor. Cordelia gasped and Xander blinked unknowingly.

In the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel stood Lindsey McDonald, a red checkered shirt and a pair of blue jeans on. "Um… hey Cordelia."

"Lindsey," Cordelia said intelligently, blinking and mouth open. "Um… what a surprise?"

Andrew stumbled out from the kitchen, laughing with Kennedy and Faith at some joke about a cartoon. Kennedy and Andrew stopped at the sight of Lindsey.

"Oh my gosh!" squealed Kennedy, jumping slightly. "It's LINDSEY MCDONALD!"

"It is, isn't it!" Andrew exclaimed, hastily walking over to Cordelia's desk to pick up a pen and paper. "Can I have your autograph!"

"Sure," smiled Lindsey, taking the pen and paper and signing his name. A clear print that years in law school had refined him to doing. "There ya go."

"Thank you!" Andrew gasped, looking at the paper.

"What's going on?" Cordelia asked, looking from a bouncing Kennedy to a nearly sighing Andrew to an amused Lindsey.

"You didn't follow your boy here?" asked Faith, leaning against the wall behind the desk. "He's famous. A country singer, as I can tell, and Andrew and Kennedy listen to him all the fucking time. Getting fucking annoying hearing the damn sad lyrics over and over again."

"Hey!" snapped both Kennedy and Andrew, looking offended.

"Yeah, I finally got my big break in New York," stated Lindsey. He shrugged. "Is Angel in?"

"Lindsey, we just got company in and Angel's actually TALKING with them," explained Cordelia. And as if to prove that point, Willow, Dawn, Wesley, Buffy, and Gunn walked into the lobby conveniently. "See?"

Gunn and Wesley stiffened at the sight of the former lawyer. "What are you doing here?" Gunn practically growled.

"You wouldn't believe me," said Lindsey, shaking his head.

"Try us," snarked Dawn, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. "We've heard loads of things before."

"My producer is a Wicca and had a bad feeling, so she went to a local psychic who told her that something big was coming," said Lindsey, "so my producer took me to the psychicand the psychictold me I had to go back and confront my past to help stop the something big. How's that?"

"Well," Willow said, "not something we've heard before, but totally believable."

"Does this mean I have to make another room up?" Xander asked from his place still on Cordy's desk. Willow put her resolve face on and nodded. "Dammit."

-

Bending over to smooth out the crinkle in the sheet, Xander sighed as he was stuck with the making of beds. Not the most fun of jobs, but someone had to do it. Besides, if no one else would do it, making the beds, and the rest of the rooms, would never get done.

He turned slightly as he felt eyes on him, but no one was there. A breath whispered across his neck and Xander lurched around, expecting to see a giggling Dawn, but only saw two bright blue eyes.

"Spike…"

**end of Chapter 3.**

Author's Note: I had nothing to do today, and I'm sick. uu So, I decided to get more of the story done. I know this isn't as long as the other chapters, but a lot of people have come in now, and important things have happened.

Review Responses:

Euley: Too bad, it won't be Fresley. You know that. You know the ending pairings, for crying out loud! Besides. We're doing a Fresley story, which is against my nature, so stop yelling.

Imazdi: Thank you for always reviewing. I really appreciate it. So. I think you've gotten the wrong idea. The prophecy isn't about original characters of Buffy and Angel. The people that the prophecy talks about will make their appearance sometime soon. I think maybe in chapter four, or maybe in chapter five. I'm not sure.

Leave a review, please! It makes me think that my story is liked.

Also, I'm thinking about putting this under the Buffy section to see if I get more feedback, positive or negative. So please leave a review.


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